Department for Transport

Railways: Coronavirus

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide companies operating international rail services that are affected by travel restrictions with comparable financial support to that provided to businesses operating international air services.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government recognises the significant financial challenges facing companies operating international transport services, including aviation and international rail, as a result of Covid-19. The Government has therefore announced a broad range of significant measures to assist UK businesses across all sectors in distress, including the Job Retention Scheme. The Department has engaged with operators across transport sectors, including international rail, to support access to these schemes where appropriate. The Government has also now announced measures to exempt countries from self-isolation requirements, which will open up opportunities for international travel, help the travel sector’s recovery and protect jobs. The Government will continue to engage closely with transport operators, including those in the international rail sector, as we move towards the next phase of our Covid-19 response, and in particular as we look to safely restart our travel sectors.

East Midlands Rail Franchise

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 10 July 2020 (HL6210), for what reasons they rejected the view of the majority of respondents to the East Midlands Rail franchise consultation who opposed splitting the Liverpool–Norwich service at Nottingham.

baroness vere of norbiton: On June 2018, the DfT published the East Midlands Rail Franchise Stakeholder Briefing document, which set out the Department for Transport’s reasons for its decision, following a review of all the feedback received by respondents. In reaching such decisions, the balance of consultation responses received is one of many elements that has to be considered when weighing up the arguments.

Tilbury Port: Lower Thames Crossing

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the updated design of the Lower Thames Crossing allows for the Tilbury link road; and whether they have established a timeline for the design, business and funding cases for the Tilbury link road in the Road Investment Strategy 2.

baroness vere of norbiton: Highways England has designed the Lower Thames Crossing route so that a Tilbury Link Road can, subject to funding and planning permission, be built in the future as a single carriageway connection to Tilbury. The second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) identifies the Tilbury Link Road as a proposal to be developed for potential inclusion in RIS3. Highways England’s Delivery Plan and Strategic Business Plan, which include plans for taking forward the RIS3 pipeline proposals, will be published shortly.

Transport: Coronavirus

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 14 July (HL6304), whether the advice in their Safer Transport guidance “that people should consider all other forms of transport, such as cycling and walking, before using public transport” includes the use of private motor vehicles; whether they intend to discourage the use of private motor vehicles as COVID-19 restrictions relax; if so, when; when they expect to announce the details of the “£5 billion of new funding to overhaul bus and cycling links across England” and the distribution of that funding; and at what stage of their post-COVID-19 recovery plans they intend to start to encourage people to use public transport including in particular the railways; and on the basis of what criteria.

baroness vere of norbiton: To support the reopening of the economy, we have been working hard with public transport operators to return services as close as possible to pre-Covid-19 levels. It is vital that the transport network continues to operate safely as demand increases for services, and we are continuing to work with the transport industry to ensure they remain able to deliver a safe service. We keep our guidance under constant review as COVID-19 incidence and scientific evidence changes. Our guidance now sets out that people should walk or cycle if they can. Where this is not possible, people can use public transport or drive. I would like to assure you that the Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050. Encouraging people to use alternatives to petrol or diesel cars for travel is central to this ambition. We are striving to embed and build on the green travel habits adopted by the public during lockdown. Further details of the £5 billion funding package for buses and cycling, which includes support for the purchase of at least 4,000 new zero-emission buses, will be announced in due course. The Department has also fast-tracked plans for e-scooter trials around the country to open new ways to travel.

Parking: Pedestrian Areas

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long the consultation period on a national ban on pavement parking, announced on 12 March, is planned to be; and when there will be a detailed plan with a time frame for action to address issues caused by pavement parking.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department is committed to launch the public consultation over the summer which will run for 12 weeks. Ministers will decide the appropriate course of action in light of the consultation findings, which will determine the timeframe for delivering a solution to this problem.

Roads: Capital Investment

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech on a New Deal for Britain by the Prime Minister on 30 June, what are the 29 road network projects that they have committed to funding this year; and how much money they will allocate to each such project.

baroness vere of norbiton: On 30 June the Department for Transport announced funding of £100.445 million for 29 local highway maintenance projects through the Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund, following a competition. All grant will be paid in summer 2020. The projects are listed in the attached table.



List of Road Network Projects and funding
(Word Document, 22.25 KB)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Personal Care Services: Coronavirus

lord cashman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of service providers such as hairdressers, dentists, and others, requiring customers to pay additional fees to cover the cost of necessary personal protection equipment and other COVID-19 related protective measures; and whether any such requirement is in breach of their COVID-19 guidance for reopening close contact services.

lord callanan: Our safer workplaces guidance is clear. Outside of clinical settings like a hospital, the number of roles for which Public Health England advises use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is small. In cases where additional PPE is required, and an employers’ risk assessment reflects this, employers must provide PPE free of charge to employees. Pricing is a commercial decision for businesses. We know, however, it is essential that businesses that experience disruption as a result of coronavirus are supported. That is why Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses. The first stage was a £160 billion support package, which included £49 billion of extra funding for the country’s vital public services including the NHS, paying the wages of nearly 12 million people and supporting over a million businesses through grants, loans and rates cuts.

Boilers: Waste Heat Recovery

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on7 July (HL6124), whether they can answer the question put with regard to stored passive flue gas heat recovery technology rather than passive flue gas heat recovery technology.

lord callanan: The response I gave to the noble Lord on 7 July 2020 to Question HL6124 applies to passive flue gas heat recovery systems with and without thermal storage. Analysis undertaken on behalf of BEIS showed that the typical household could increase boiler efficiency between 1% to 5% by adding a passive flue gas heat recovery system. The 1-5% boiler efficiency level includes both product types with the 5% being an upper maximum for a passive flue gas heat recovery device with thermal storage (typically a 5 to 10 litre store) in a large house.

Boilers: Waste Heat Recovery

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Stored-Flue Gas Heat Recovery technology will be included within their grant scheme for energy saving projects for homeowners.

lord callanan: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery.The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in due course, before the full launch.

Climate Change: Arctic

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports by the Copernicus Climate Change Service that there was a heatwave in March, April and May in the Arctic Circle, what recent discussions they have had with other parties to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement on the impact of prolonged high temperatures in the Arctic on the global climate.

lord callanan: Government officials hold regular discussions with climate scientists and negotiators from arctic nations and others, including through the Cryosphere High Urgency group run by the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hong Kong: National Security

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to request that the UN Secretary General appoint a Special Envoy to monitor and report on the government of China’s imposition of national security legislation in Hong Kong.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As the Foreign Secretary said in Parliament on 1 July, the adoption by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing of a wide-ranging national security law for Hong Kong is a grave and deeply disturbing step. The enactment of this legislation, imposed by Beijing on the people of Hong Kong, constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Joint Declaration.The UK has already raised Hong Kong in the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council. We are focused on giving voice to the widespread international concerns on Hong Kong, and to working closely with international partners to call on China to live up to its obligations and responsibilities. Whilst formal mechanisms have proved helpful in other contexts in focusing the international community's attention, we judge that pursuing such an option at this time risks providing China an opportunity to frustrate and obstruct progress, undermining our objectives. We do not, though, rule out any diplomatic options and will keep the issue under review. We will also continue to work actively within international institutions and through multilateral groupings to urge China to uphold its international commitments, including the Joint Declaration.

Hong Kong: Human Rights

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise the threat to human rights in Hong Kong at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is working intensively with international partners, including at the United Nations, to raise our deep concern about the situation in Hong Kong. On 30 June at the most recent UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the UK led a formal Joint Statement with the support of 27 international partners, setting out our deep concern both on Hong Kong, and the situation in Xinjiang. This statement, delivered through UK leadership, underlines the strength and breadth of international concern.We will continue to bring together our international partners to stand up for the people of Hong Kong- including through international institutions such as the UN Human Rights Council- to call out the violation of their freedoms, and to hold China to the international obligations it freely assumed.

Darfur: Protest

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the mass protests in Nertiti in Central Darfur, Sudan, and (2) the calls of protestors to the government of Sudan to put in place protective measures against attacks by raiding militia.

baroness sugg: We are closely monitoring events in Central Darfur. The UK supports Prime Minister Hamdok's commitment to secure a sustainable peace agreement that in the long term will help end conflict. We welcome progress to date in the Juba-based talks between the Government of Sudan and armed opposition groups, which once finalised should begin to address conflict and violence in Darfur, as well as demands made by protesters such as the appointment of civilian state governors. We do however remain concerned by incidents of violence in Darfur and continue to urge the Government of Sudan to provide protection of civilians, working with the UN/AU peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to do so. We continue to put the protection of civilians at the heart of our work on the future UN presence in Sudan, including during UN Security Council negotiations in May to establish the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission that will support Sudan's transition, and the renewal of UNAMID's current mandate.

Omar al-Bashir

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress made by the International Criminal Court in bringing to trial Omar al-Bashir on charges of genocide; and what assistance they have provided to the government of Sudan in facilitating that trial.

baroness sugg: The UK welcomes the news that Sudan intends that Omar al-Bashir, and four others indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), will stand trial for crimes committed in Darfur. Such accountability is a significant step in Sudan's progress towards the goals of the revolution and a peace settlement in Darfur. The Sudanese authorities have not yet set out how they will cooperate with the ICC, but have stated their intention for those indicted by the ICC to be tried for the crimes for which they have been charged. The UK strongly supports the ICC, and the role it plays in holding perpetrators to account and achieving justice for victims. At a UN Security Council briefing by the ICC's lead prosecutor on 11 June, the UK called for the Government of Sudan to productively engage with the ICC on these issues and, as a first step, allow a visit by the prosecutor to Sudan as soon as possible.

Dawit Isaak

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Eritrea about Dawit Isaak, jailed in Eritrea without trial since 2001; and what information they have sought about his well-being.

baroness sugg: We are aware of the case of dual Eritrean and Swedish national, Dawit Isaak. The UK Government is fully committed to promote media freedom and protect journalists wherever possible. We believe that media freedom is vital to functioning democracies and that journalists must be able to investigate and report without undue interference. The Head of East Africa Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised media freedom during his visit to Eritrea in November 2019.

Mozambique: Islamic State

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence ofIslamic State(IS) insurgency innorthern Mozambiqueand reports (1) of the displacement of 200,000 people, (2) of wide-spread killings, and (3)of the seizure of towns by IS in Cabo Delgado; whatdiscussions they have had with the government of South Africaabout reports thatit is considering a military intervention in northern Mozambique; and what plans theyhave to provide humanitarian assistance to those people who have beendisplaced.

baroness sugg: The UK is deeply concerned about the situation in northern Mozambique and the increasing attacks by groups with links to Islamic extremism. We strongly condemn the targeting of civilians and the temporary seizures of the towns of Mocimboa da Praia and Quissanga by insurgent groups. The Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in northern Mozambique with President Nyusi on 11 June, urging him to address the underlying causes of the insurgency as well as its effects. We support the Government of Mozambique to address the drivers of conflict and instability in northern Mozambique, including through engagement with the Government of Mozambique's regional development authority in Cabo Delgado and with targeted technical assistance under the framework of a Defence Memorandum of Understanding. The UK also has a substantial aid programme in Mozambique, worth £168 million in 2019/20, which includes programmes to drive more inclusive growth and to improve good governance in Cabo Delgado.We are also concerned about the 200,000 people displaced as a result of instability in Cabo Delgado. The UK has committed over £3 million through the World Food Program and Food and Agricultural Organisation to deliver food assistance, shelter, improvement of water and sanitation, the treatment of acute malnutrition and agriculture recovery.The Minister for Africa discussed the situation in northern Mozambique with the Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa on 16 July. They agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Southern African region and on central role of the Southern African Development Community in achieving this.

Mozambique: Christianity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recommendations of the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, published in June 2019, what assessment they have made of reports (1) of churches being burned down, and (2) of Christians being attacked, in northern Mozambique; and what discussions they have had, if any,with the Bishop of Pemba in northern Mozambique about such reports.

baroness sugg: We remain deeply concerned at the scale of Freedom of Religion or Belief violations in many parts of the world. We recognise that people's religion and gender can increase their vulnerabilities, particularly those from minority groups. The Government has committed to implementing the Bishop of Truro's 22 recommendations in full. This work is being overseen by the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Rehman Chishti MP. 11 of the recommendations have already been implemented, or are in the process of being implemented. Work is ongoing to implement all the recommendations in a way that will bring real improvements to the lives of those persecuted because of their faith, belief, or because they have no religious beliefWe are aware that homes and commercial buildings have been targeted by groups with links to Islamic extremism in certain areas of northern Mozambique, particularly in the coastal town of Mocimboa da Praia on 23 March. The insurgents have attacked and terrorised all the peoples of Cabo Delgado, irrespective of their beliefs. The UK strongly condemns any targeting of civilians by insurgent groups, regardless of their religion.The British High Commission hopes to reinstate a planned visit to Cabo Delgado to meet all faith leaders including the Bishop of Pemba as soon as possible once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and it is safe to do so.

Department for Education

Skilled Workers: Training

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to increase skills investment to help retain those affected by job loss into local jobs.

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the case for skills funding for adults at risk of unemployment due to COVID-19 to enable them to enrol onto adjustment courses to retrain for jobs for which there is a local demand.

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how investment in training and employment support as part of their COVID-19 recovery plan can best reach local communities.

baroness berridge: We have been working across government to build a package of support measures to boost skills among those who will be hardest hit by the labour market impacts of COVID-19. On 8 July, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor, announced measures across a range of targeted work-based training offers to support people to build the skills they need to get into work in all communities across the country. This amounts to investment of £1.6 billion in employment support schemes, which will substantially expand existing provision. This includes:£111 million to triple the number of traineeships;£17 million to triple the number of sector-based work academy placements;Paying businesses to take on new apprentices – an extra £2000 for each apprentice under 25 and £1500 for apprentices over 25;£32 million to help 269,000 more people receive advice from the National Careers Service;£101 million for school/college leavers to study high value courses when there are not employment opportunities available to them.Over the course of this Parliament, we are also providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) for a new National Skills Fund to help people learn new skills and prepare for the economy of the future.The government appreciates the importance of adult education to improving people’s life chances. We will continue to explore options within adult education and will be making decisions on where we may be able to introduce flexibilities to aid the Post-COVID recovery.In areas where we have devolved the Adult Education Budget (AEB), it is for Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) or the Greater London Authority (GLA) to determine funding arrangements for adult education for their residents. We do, however, appreciate the importance of sharing, and where appropriate, co-ordinating, responses to attempt to ensure that providers, of all types, do not have their funding disrupted as a result of COVID-19. We are continuing to keep MCAs and the GLA updated on our skills response to COVID-19 through weekly telekits.Devolving the AEB enables MCAs to directly support adults in developing the skills that local employers need, reducing skills shortages, boosting productivity and economic prosperity and improving wellbeing in communities.

Pupils: Coronavirus

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the practicality of social distancingforsecondary school pupils travelling to and from school, in particular in rural areas; and what assessment they have made of the findings in the analysis by the Education Policy Institute Getting pupils back into school: the unresolved problem of transport, published on 3 July.

baroness berridge: We recognise that ensuring there is sufficient, appropriate transport for all children to return to school safely is a very significant challenge, including in rural areas. We are working closely with the Department for Transport to achieve this and to ensure local authorities have robust plans in place for the autumn term. Our guidance published on 2 July outlines steps which schools and local authorities should take:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#section-2-school-operations. The advice for passengers on public transport to adopt a social distance of two metres, or a ‘one metre plus’ approach where this is not possible, does not apply on dedicated school transport. This is because pupils on dedicated school transport services do not mix with the general public on those journeys. As school transport is arranged by local authorities for a planned number of children, demand for services can be managed in a way which is not possible on public transport. This predictability, which public transport does not afford, will allow for planning so that protective measures can be put in place. For example, in some circumstances, it may be possible for children to sit with other children from their school bubble on school transport. We know this won’t always be possible and where that is case, other measures such as the use of hand sanitiser upon boarding and/or disembarking, additional cleaning of vehicles, organised queuing and boarding will be more important. We will publish additional guidance for dedicated school transport shortly. In many areas, pupils normally make extensive use of the wider public transport system, particularly public buses. We expect that public transport capacity will continue to be constrained in the autumn term. Its use, particularly in peak times, should be kept to an absolute minimum so that the capacity is available for those that have no alternative method of travel. Schools should encourage parents, staff and pupils to walk or cycle to school if at all possible. The government has announced a £2 billion package to promote cycling and walking, including to support pop-up bicycle lanes and widened pavements. For some families, driving children to school will also be an option. Those using public transport should refer to the Department for Transport’s safer travel guidance for passengers, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers.

Basic Skills: Primary Education

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely effect of the decision to end the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium on pupils who do not achieve the expected standard in reading or maths at the end of Key Stage 2.

baroness berridge: Although the year 7 catch-up premium has been discontinued, we continue to provide funding which can be used to support pupils who did not reach the expected standard in reading or maths at the end of key stage 2. The national funding formula (NFF) contains a low prior attainment factor which is allocated on a similar basis to the year 7 catch-up premium, but provides funding for all five years that a pupil is in secondary school. NFF allocations do not directly determine schools’ budgets, which are set through formula determined by local authorities in consultation with local schools. Local authorities are free to use a low prior attainment factor in their local formula, and for 2020-21, all are doing so.In 2020-21, the amount allocated through the secondary low prior attainment factor in the school’s NFF is increasing by £49 million from £924 million to £973 million.In addition, the £1 billion catch up package that the government announced on 19 June includes £650 million to help all pupils make up for the lost teaching time and £350 million for a new National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils.

Schools: Finance

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what effect they expect the COVID catch-up fund to have on the ability of schools to attract additional funding under the National Funding Formula for pupils in Years 7 to 11 with lower attainment who need support to catch up.

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what sources of funding will be available to secondary schoolsto support low attainment pupils following the decision to end the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium.

baroness berridge: Schools will continue to attract funding via the national funding formula (NFF) for pupils with low prior attainment. The NFF contains a low prior attainment factor which is allocated on a similar basis to the year 7 catch-up premium, but provides funding for all five years that a pupil is in secondary school. NFF allocations do not directly determine schools’ budgets, which are set through formula determined by local authorities in consultation with local schools. Local authorities are free to use a low prior attainment factor in their local formula, and for 2020-21, all are doing so.In 2020-21, the amount allocated through the secondary low prior attainment factor in the schools NFF has increased by £49 million from £924 million to £973 million.In addition, the £1 billion catch up package that the government announced on 19 June includes £650 million to help all pupils make up for the lost teaching time and £350 million for a new National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils.NFF allocations for 2020-21 were published in October 2019; allocations for 2021-22 will be published shortly. The additional funding schools will receive through the COVID-19 catch-up plan will not have any effect on the funding allocated through the NFF.

Schools: Inspections

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Ofsted visits to schools due to take place after the summer holidays will differ from formal inspections other than they will not result in the school being graded.

baroness berridge: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the noble Lord and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses

Education and Training: Coronavirus

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the duties on local governmentto support students with education or training after the age of 16in relation to the Opportunity Guarantee, announced by the Prime Minister on 30 June.

baroness berridge: As part of raising the participation age legislation local authorities have duties to track all academic age 16 and 17 year olds, identify those not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming so and supporting them to re-engage in education or training. This includes a September guarantee where local authorities need to ensure that all year 11 students and year 12 students on a one year course have a suitable offer of education or training for the following September. We are working closely with local authorities to support these duties and monitor September guarantee offers.Additionally, following my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s announcement on 30 June, on 8 July my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced measures across a range of targeted work-based training offers to support people to build the skills they need to get into work in all communities across the country. This amounts to investment of £1.6 billion in employment support schemes, which will substantially expand existing provision. This includes:£111 million to triple the number of traineeships;£17 million to triple the number of sector-based work academy placements;Paying businesses to take on new apprentices – an extra £2000 for each apprentice under 25 and £1,500 for apprentices over 25;£32 million to help 269,000 more people receive advice from the National Careers Service;£101 million for school/college leavers to study high value courses when there are not employment opportunities available to them.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Parliamentary Papers

lord blunkett: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans there are to make printed papers, including (1) select committee reports, (2) government publications, and(3) Hansard, available to members; and what consideration they have given to outsourcing the production of such papers.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. The Printed Paper Office (PPO) continues to operate a service for members attending the Estate in person; members are able to collect papers from the Royal Gallery. Staff are available in the PPO to fetch papers which are not stocked in the Royal Gallery.For members working remotely a temporary service has been introduced allowing members to request certain documents to be posted to their designated mail forwarding address, provided that the document relates to business at least 3 days from the working day the request is received. The documents are:Bills, explanatory notes and statutory instruments subject to scrutiny by the House;House of Lords select committee reports and Joint Committee reports published this Session; andCommand papers (government publications) where there is a debate in the House scheduled.All papers are available online and through the House Papers app, detail on accessing the app can be found on the intranet. The Services Committee has introduced a scheme to allow members to claim for the costs of printers and printer consumables, purchased since 12 June, and used for parliamentary work.No consideration has been given to outsourcing the production of papers since the papers needed continue to be printed by the in-house reprographics team.

Ministry of Defence

HMS Queen Elizabeth: South China Sea

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to send the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier to the South China Sea; and if so, (1) when the decision was made, and (2) what will be the objective.

baroness goldie: No decision has yet been made. Cross Government consultation is in progress and we expect to finalise the details of the deployment soon. The UK has enduring interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and the Royal Navy has maintained a near persistent presence there for a number of years, conducting numerous activities promoting security and defence relationships with our partners and upholding the Rules Based International System. Building on this, the Royal Navy intends to continue to operate across the region, including in the South China Sea.

Submarines: Accidents

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch Report on the investigation of the near miss between the ro-ro ferryStena Superfast VIIand a submergedRoyal Navy submarinein the North Channelon 6 November 2018, published on 16 July; and what steps they are taking to ensure similar incidents do not reoccur. [T]

baroness goldie: Ensuring safety at sea is a top priority for the Royal Navy. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch's (MAIB) report is welcomed and the Royal Navy fully accepts their recommendation.Actions have been taken to prevent re-occurrence and a system of assurance is in place in accordance with the Navy's Safety Management System.  To deliver the MAIB's recommendation, the Fleet Commander has directed an independent review of the actions taken to provide assurance that such actions have been effective. This review will be led by the Defence Maritime Regulator, part of the independent Defence Safety Authority.

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for a more localised system for delivering support to (1) young people, and (2) the long-term unemployed.

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for increased investment in local employment support.

baroness stedman-scott: The Government is committed to addressing imbalances as economic recovery progresses in every part of the UK and the department already has robust mechanisms in place which provide local support through our Jobcentre Plus network, including provision for young people and the long term unemployed.As announced by the Chancellor this provision is being further strengthened through a range of measures including: o doubling the number of work coaches to 27,000 by March 2021; o an increase in the Flexible Support Fund in Great Britain by £150 million including to increase the capacity of the Rapid Response Service. It will also provide local support to claimants by removing barriers to work such as travel expenses for attending interviews; o the introduction of the Kickstart Scheme for young people on Universal Credit that will provide high quality, six-month work placements from Autumn this year. Funding available for each job will cover 100 per cent of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week; o expanding our youth offer to young jobseekers to include all those aged 18-24 in the Intensive Work Search group in Universal Credit to include: a structured 13-week intervention, during which (as capacity allows) they will be referred to the most appropriate support, such as careers advice, a sector-based work academy, a traineeship, work experience, mentoring circles or an apprenticeship. Once they have completed this programme, participants will be encouraged to take up work-related training or an apprenticeship; youth hubs co-located and co-delivered with our network of external partners where young people can access wider support; additional targeted support from Youth Employability Coaches for young people with more complex needs; o expansion of our sector-based work academy programmes, which will establish bespoke opportunities, working with employers and training providers to support claimants to fill job vacancies and pivot into new careers;o expansion of the scope of the Work and Health Programme in England and Wales to provide personalised support for up to six months, to help jobseekers who have been unemployed for three months plus to effectively reengage with the labour market. Equivalent provision will also be made in Scotland; and o a new job finding support service in Great Britain to help recently unemployed people more quickly back in to the labour market, focussing on their transferrable skills and how they might transition to a new employment sector, where there are vacancies. In addition, we are also working with local partners across England to invest £250 million from European Social Fund’s reserve to help people find new jobs and learn new skills. This is addition to the £440 million that is being invested in locally-tailored programme this year.

Pension Credit: Females

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many women are (1) in receipt of, and (2) entitled to, Pension Credit; and when they last ran a campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit to women of an eligible age.

baroness stedman-scott: We estimate 1.3 million women were in receipt of Pension Credit and 2.2 million women were entitled to Pension Credit, based on data for 2017/18. These figures are made up of both women who claim as part of a couple or claim alone. These figures are derived from official statistics on the take-up of income-related benefits at Great Britain level, including Pension Credit, which can be found in the latest ‘Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2017 to 2018’ publication, which is available online at Gov.uk. The Government wants to make sure that all eligible pensioners can claim Pension Credit. That is why in February this year we launched a targeted twelve-week nationwide campaign, to raise awareness of Pension Credit. Part of the campaign was to dispel some of the misconceptions that people might have about Pension Credit eligibility. We wanted to make it clear that even a small award of Pension Credit can provide access to a range of other benefits such as help with rent, council tax reduction schemes, heating costs and for those aged 75 or over, a free television licence. We continue to work with stakeholders to help spread the key messages from the campaign because we know that often the best ways to reach eligible pensioners is through trusted stakeholders working in the community. Our online Pension Credit toolkit has been updated to help older people understand how they could claim Pension Credit. In May this year we also launched an online claim service for Pension Credit to supplement the existing telephone and postal claim services. The new online service provides an additional claim facility and enables pensioners to apply for Pension Credit at a time that suits them.

Pension Credit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of eligible pensioners are claiming Pension Credit; and what steps they are taking to improve its take-upfollowingthe BBC’s decision to confine free TV licences to those in receipt of Pension Credit.

baroness stedman-scott: The latest estimated proportion of eligible pensioners who are claiming Pension Credit is 61 per cent. Official statistics on the take-up of income-related benefits at Great Britain level, can be found in the ‘Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2017 to 2018’ publication, which is available on Gov.uk. The Government wants to make sure that all eligible pensioners can claim Pension Credit. That is why in February this year we launched a targeted twelve-week nationwide campaign to raise awareness of Pension Credit. Part of the campaign was to dispel some of the misconceptions that people might have about Pension Credit eligibility. We wanted to make it clear that even a small award of Pension Credit can provide access to a range of other benefits such as help with rent, council tax reduction schemes, heating costs and for those aged 75 or over, a free television licence. We continue to work with stakeholders to help spread the key messages from the campaign because we know that often the best ways to reach eligible pensioners is through trusted stakeholders working in the community. Our online Pension Credit toolkit has been updated to help older people understand how they could claim Pension Credit. In May this year we also launched an online claim service for Pension Credit to supplement the existing telephone and postal claim services. The new online service provides an additional claim facility and enables pensioners to apply for Pension Credit at a time that suits them.

Poverty: Ethnic Groups

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Social Metrics Commission Measuring Poverty 2020,published on 1 July, which suggests that BAME households are more likely to live in poverty.

baroness stedman-scott: The Government’s current focus is on supporting people financially during these unprecedented times. Our long-term ambition remains to build an economy that supports employment, ensuring opportunities for all to enter and progress in work where possible, whilst providing a strong welfare safety net for those that need it. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of work in tackling poverty now and in the future. Working age adults in households where all adults are in work are six times less likely to be in absolute poverty (after housing costs) than adults in a household where nobody works. We are also committed to levelling up skills and opportunities across the country. Using latest data from the Race Disparity Audit, and the Department for Work and Pensions’ own analysis, we continue to help those underrepresented in the labour market and are also investing £90 million towards activities that address disparities in youth unemployment. On 8 July, the Chancellor announced a series of employment support measures, with a particular focus on young people, who we know are two and a half times as likely to work in a sector that has been closed. This includes a new Kickstart Scheme in Great Britain, a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high quality six-month work placements aimed at those aged 16-24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long term unemployment from Autumn this year. As the economic outlook becomes clearer, we will adapt our offer to ensure we are targeting our support at the right people. We have a flexible and agile package we will continue to tailor our response as we continue to learn more about the impact on different sectors of the economy and different parts of the country.

Sick Pay: Coronavirus

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether those who are extremely clinically vulnerable will have access to sick pay on receipt of a shielding letter if COVID-19 lockdownrestrictions are re-introduced (1) nationally, and (2) locally.

baroness stedman-scott: Guidance around shielding will be continually reviewed and informed by the latest scientific evidence and advice. We will continue to assess the support in place should advice to shield be reinstated. If shielding guidance changes again either nationally, or locally, after 31 July and extremely clinically vulnerable individuals are again asked to shield, they will be entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay where they meet all eligibility criteria.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pet Travel Scheme

lord patten of barnes: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pets have (1) entered, or (2) re-entered, the UK under the PETS Travel Scheme since it was launched; and how many cases of rabies have been diagnosed in relation to the scheme.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK fully harmonised with the EU Pet Travel Scheme on 1 January 2012. Since that date (up to the end of 2019), there have been 1,960,766 pet movements into Great Britain under the scheme. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) does not record how many of these pets were re-entering Great Britain. APHA does not hold details of pet movements into Northern Ireland. There have been no confirmed cases of rabies in dogs and other mammals since 2012.

Cabinet Office

Civil Servants

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the size of the civil service workforce on their ability to implement policies; and what plans are in place to mitigate any potential reduction of that workforce.

lord true: This Government was elected with an ambitious agenda. The Government keeps resourcing for the Civil Service continually under review, to ensure it has the resources to deliver Government priorities as we recover from COVID-19.

Press Conferences: Coronavirus

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetherpeople under the age of 18 have been allowed tosubmit questions to the daily Downing Street Covid-19 briefings; and if not, why not.

lord true: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I gave to HL5693 on 29 June.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: USA

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to have an objective in negotiating a free trade agreement with the government of the United States that (1) that governmentwill accept vehicle type approval certification by the UK, and (2) UK exporters will not have to comply with the vehicle certification regulations set by individual states of the United States.

lord grimstone of boscobel: The Government published its objectives for UK-US Free Trade Agreement negotiations on gov.uk on 1st March 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uks-approach-to-trade-negotiations-with-the-us Due to their sensitive nature, it is not appropriate to provide further detail while negotiations are ongoing.

Trade Agreements: USA

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, (1) of the likelihood of other candidates for President of the United State not agreeing to a free-trade agreement with the UK should they win the election in November; and (2) of the cost implications of such a decision; and if they have not made any such assessments, what plans they have to do so before the US presidential election on 3 November.

lord grimstone of boscobel: The Government regularly assesses all developments that may affect ongoing trade negotiations around the world. We also continue to engage with US partners on a bipartisan basis, at the federal and state level. As both the UK and US have repeatedly made clear, we are seeking a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which will benefit people and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. It is not for the UK to comment on the US election and decisions the US may or may not wish to take in advance of the election. We will continue to pursue an ambitious and wide-ranging FTA over the coming months.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

lord browne of ladyton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Ministerial Statement by the Secretary of State for International Trade on 7 July (HCWS339), whether details of the revised methodology described are publicly available; and if not, whether they will place a description of the non-sensitive and non-confidential elements of the revised methodology in the Library of the House.

lord browne of ladyton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Ministerial Statement by the Secretary of State for International Trade on 7 July (HCWS339), what data sets were employed in the revised methodology described.

lord grimstone of boscobel: The Written Ministerial Statement of 7th July 2020 explained and set out details of the revised methodology developed to comply with the Court of Appeal’s judgment of 20th June 2019 and applied to re-take the decisions remitted by the Court of Appeal on the correct legal basis. HM Government have no plans to publish the assessments to which the Noble Lord refers. Such assessments use all available sources of information – including some that are necessarily confidential and sensitive – so we are not able to provide details of the assessments.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Museums and Galleries

lord stevenson of balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make regulations under the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 to protect museum collections from sale when holding bodies go into administration.

baroness barran: The Government is aware of this important issue and DCMS is exploring options, including legislation, for how we may be able to prevent the dispersal, and therefore potential loss of these collections. One option is considering whether the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 can be used as a means of saving museum collections in the event of insolvency.Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis officials and ministers have been in even more regular contact with museums and sector organisations to understand the impact of the pandemic, the measures the Government has taken to fight it and to understand what support museums and heritage organisations need and how best to get it to them. On 5th July, the Government announced a £1.57 billion support package to protect Britain’s world-class cultural, arts and heritage institutions. In addition, DCMS arms’ length bodies have created sector specific support. Arts Council England launched a £160 million Emergency Funding Package, the National Lottery Heritage Fund launched the £50 million Heritage Emergency Fund, and Historic England launched a £2 million Emergency Fund. This emergency short-term funding will help address pressures over the next 3-6 months for those organisations most in immediate need.The Government has also announced unprecedented support for business and workers, to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme and VAT payment deferrals. We know that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, in particular, has been a lifeline for the museum sector. The Government continues to monitor the impact of these and other measures.